Flash light



Feb. 27, 1934. Q C, BRlTsCl-l 1,948,613

FLASH LIGHT Filed Dec. l0, 1931 OTTO C. BRITSCH BY im@ ATTORN EYSPatented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLASH LIGHT WareApplication December 10, 1931 Serial No. 580,030

4 Claims.

This invention relates to portable lighting devices and moreparticularly is directed to pocket battery flashlights.

Among the objects of the invention is the provision of an improveddevice of the character described comprising few and simple parts whichshall be easily assembled to form a reliable and dependable lightingmeans capable of withstanding rough and hard usage yet which shall be lsmall and compact so that it can be readily carried in the pocket or inhand bags, which shall be neat in appearance, convenient to handle andoperate, cheap to manufacture, and practical and eicient to a highdegree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemfplied in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scopeof application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the variouspossible illustrative embodiments of this invention.

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view taken through a pocket ashlightconstructed to embody the invention showing the cover in closedposition.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 2--2 ofFigure l.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on lines 3--3 in Figure 1showing the lamp removed from the socket, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken through the coverand switch portions of the improved socket fiashlightshowing the coverin its retained open position.

Referring to thedrawing, 10 denotes a pocket ilashlight of a type thatcan conveniently be carried in a vest pocket or in a womans hand bag,constructed to embody the invention. Said dash-lamp 10 may comprise asuitable outer casing 11, as here shown being formed of sheet metal,enclosing a battery of one or more dry cells 12 and 13. Only one ofthese cells, namely 12, need be insulated by a wrapper 14 of paper, breor other suitable material, from the other cell 13 and the casing 11,thereby simplifying the construction. The upper end 11a of the casingextends beyond the carbon and zinc terminals (Cl. 24o-10.67)

12a and 13a of the cells 12 and 13 respectively to provide a housing fora lamp receptacle socket 15 carrying a standard miniature incandescentbulb 16 and for a switch 17 for making and breaking the circuit fromsaid battery cells to the bulb 16. i y

The socket 15 and switch 17 are mounted to extend down from the underside of an insulating plate 18 and a suitable cover 19 is movablymounted to enclose and shield the bulb portion @0 which extends throughsaid plate 18 to the upper side thereof. Said plate 18, socket 15,switch 17 and cover 19 form a closure member, designated generally at M,for the upper end of the casing 11. Said member M is retained inposition by an inturned Ilange 11b provided on the casing end lla, saidflange forming an abutment engaging the peripheral portion of the plate18, as is clearly shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. The socket 15 preferablyis made of a single n stamping bent to provide spring shell contactportions 15a for receiving the screw base 16a of the bulb 16, spacedlugs 15b which are extended up through the plate 18 for anchoring thesocket 15 thereto, and an extending spring contact p0r- 75 tion 15ewhich forms part of the switch 17.

The current carrying parts of the hash-lamp include, besides the shellcontact and contact portions, 15a and 15e, respectively, a blade 17a ofthe switch 17, said blade terminating the lower end or foot 20a, of ahinge lever 20. The upper end 2Gb of said hinge lever 20 is pivoted at21 to an outer end of an arm 22 whichl is anchored to the inside of thecover 19 by any suitable means, such as rivet 23. A helicallywoundcompression spring 24 is provided between said lever foot 20a and theplate 18, said lever 20 being positioned to pass through the spring andthrough an opening 18a in the plate 18, as is clearly shown in Figures1, 2 and 4. 90

The foot 20a also has an extension abutment stop 25 which is adapted tocontact with the underside of the plate 18 for swinging the blade 17a tocontact with the spring contact portion 15e on moving the cover 19 toits open position shown in Figure 4. Straddling the spring 24 and thelower end of the lever 20 under the plate 18, there is provided a saddlejumper 26 which has spring sides 26a for contacting with the insidesurface of the upper casing 11a. and has lower spring contact ends 26hfor abutting the zinc battery terminal 13a. The upper end 26e of thesaddle jumper 26 may be provided with a lug 26d which extends into theopening 18a for retaining said jumper from being accidentally displaced.The jumper 26 also serves as spacing and bracing means between thebattery cell and the plate 18 as well as a current carrying part of theelectrical circuit.

The bottom end of the casing 11 may be bent to form an inturned flangellc on which is seated an insulating closure 28 for enclosing thebattery, a jumper 29 being provided for electrically interconnecting thecarbon terminal 13b of the cell 13 with the Zinc terminal 12b of thecell 12 to join the battery cells in series circuit.

The practical operation of the invention will now be apparent. Thebattery cells 12 and 13 and closure member M are assembled in the casingll with the bulb 16 inserted in the socket 15, as shown in Figure l. Thecenter contact 16h of the bulb base 16a will then tightly contact withthe carbon cell terminal 12a. The shell contact portions 15a of thesocket 15 are each provided with an impressed thread 15d for engagingthe screw base 16a in the well understood manner. When the cover 19 isin closed position, the switch is in open circuit position, as at X.

To operate the ilash-lamp 10 for lighting the bulb 16, the cover 19 isswung open on the pivot 21, a lip 19a being provided on the cover 19 tofacilitate the opening operation. As the cover 19 swings to its openposition, shown in Figure 4, the spring 24 is compressed by the raisingof the lever member 20 and the blade 17a is brought into rubbing contactwith portion 15e. The stop 25 contacting on the under side of the plate18 serves as a fulcrum of a leverage for throwing the plate 17a upwardlyand toward the socket extension portion 15c. These interconnectingswitch and cover hinge parts which operate on opening the cover 19, aredisposed to swing the pivotal center 21 to the right of a bearing pointZ on the insulating plate 18 so that the cover 19 is retained in openposition until said center 21 is swung back to the left of the aligningposition with respect to said bearing point Z, thereafter the spring 24acts to automatically swing the cover 19 closed.

The circuit from and to the battery cells through the switch 17 and thesocket 15 permits the current to first pass from the battery cell Zincterminal 13a to the casing 11 and also to the saddle jumper 26, hencethrough the spring 24 to the lever foot 20a.. When the cover 19 isclosed, as shown in Figure l, the circuit is opened at X. Moving thecover 19 to its opening position, raises the blade 17a to contact withthe spring extension portion 15c for closing the circuit at Y, as shownin Figure 4. The current then passes successively through the shellcontact portions 15a., the lamp 16 and back to the battery cells throughthe carbon terminal 12a.

The form of the invention disclosed in the drawing contemplatesassembling the battery cells and the closure member permanently in thecasing 11, the entire device forming a structure of non-demountableparts with the exception of the bulb 16. However, if desired, the casing11 may be so constructed as to permit the removal and replacement of thebattery cells 12 and 13.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which theseveral objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adaptedto meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth,it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A ashlight of the character described comprising a metallic casing, adry cell battery in the casing having one battery terminal in contactwith said casing, and a closure member for one end of the casing havingan insulating plate, an electric lamp socket mounted to extend betweenthe plate and the battery and adapted to retain an incandescent bulb incontact with the other battery terminal, a cover for removably enclosingsaid plate and socket, a lever extended through the plate, said leverhaving an end on one side of the plate hinged to the cover, acompression spring interposed between the other end of the lever andother side of said plate for resiliently attaching the lever and coverto the plate, and a switch actuated by said lever on movement of saidcover.

2. In a flashlight of the character described, an end casing closuremember comprising an insulating plate having an opening, a leverextending through said opening, a cover pivoted to one end of saidlever, and a compression spring interposed between the other end of saidlever and said plate.

3. In a ashlight of the character described, an end casing closuremember comprising an insulating plate having an opening, a leverextending through said opening, a cover pivoted to one end of saidlever, a compression spring interposed between the other end of saidlever and said plate, and a current carrying jumper secured by saidspring to extend from said plate.

4. In a iiashlight of the character described, an end casing closuremember comprising an insulating plate having an opening, a lever eX-tending through said opening, a cover pivoted to one end of said lever,a compression spring interposed between the other end of said lever andsaid plate, a current carrying jumper secured by said spring to extendfrom said plate, and a switch blade carried by said last mentioned leverend.

OTTO C. BRITSCH.

